Franklin swimmers, divers surge to 6-0 start in duals

The Franklin boys swim team is on a roll.

The Sabers have won their first six duals this season and came off the holiday break in fine condition as behind August Beck's victory in diving, they took a strong third of 12 schools in the 49th annual South Milwaukee Rocket Invitational on Saturday.

"We've been doing very well this year," said coach Ross Lennertz. "The whole team has been working very hard and swam extremely well yesterday (at the Rocket) for how broken down they are. We have three more duel meets we are focusing on before our conference meet in order to remain undefeated for the season."

The Sabers will visit Racine Park for another Southeast Conference dual Jan. 10 and then will take part in the Kenosha Bradford Invitational at 1 p.m. Jan. 12. Beck and the divers will be at a diving only invitational that same day at 9 a.m.

Beck scored 349.2 points for his 11-dive effort to score first place and got help from Andy Schauer in sixth (300.05) and Dexter Peirce in ninth (246.75).

Behind those efforts, Franklin scored 259 points as Muskego won with 488 points and New Berlin was second with 271.

The only other top three efforts for the Sabers was a third by the 200 free relay team of Andre Conrad, Takuto Kobayashi, Sam Karelowicz and Beck (1:38.8).

Other than that, the team's depth is what carried the day.

Other top efforts for the team by event included the following: 200 individual medley, Conrad, seventh (2:16.87), and Nick Banach, 10th (2:22.16); 50 free, Kobayashi, sixth (24.24); 100 free, Kobayashi, ninth (55.04); 100 butterfly, Conrad, sixth (1:00.45); 500 free, Luke Gavronski, sixth (5:41.94), Beck, seventh (5:44.45), and Karelowicz, ninth (5:53.09); 100 breast stroke, Davis Ciszewski, 10th (1:13.12); 100 backstroke, Banach, sixth (1:01.46); 400 free relay, Conrad, Karelowicz, Kobayashi and Beck, fifth (3:41.5).

Lennertz said that an infusion of new blood has really boosted hopes this winter.

"Our two new freshmen swimmers (Gavronski and Conrad) along with our two new divers (Peirce and Schauer) have proven to be a huge help in the first half of the season," he said. "We hope the second half of the season goes just as well."